GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS

Coming out of all the altercations over the debt ceiling in Washington D.C., there is some good news of the Senate voting to confirm Gen. David Petraeus to be the nation's next CIA director.

Gen. Petraeus has come into prominence during the Iraq War in 2007, when President George W. Bush chose him to direct the surge of troops there. His military expertise was needed to usher in a more effective strategy to lessen hostilities, and to reduce the high volume of American casualties.

The move was to bolster the number of U.S. troops, which would put the Iraqi insurgents in check and on the defensive; and it would also enable troop replacements at the war front for those who have been there for any unreasonable amount of time to get the rest they deserved or to come home.

Baghdad has remained a hot bed of military activities, and the number of casualties on the U.S. side went up from day to day. The insurgents were using roadside bombs or IEDs and other terrorist methods to hit American convoys and to decimate road blocks; and they seemed to be succeeding in demoralising the U.S. war effort.

In fact, the insurgency had gained a slight upper hand at a certain point; hence, "the surge" of troop increase to deal with the issue. Having an adequate number of troops on hand, Gen. Patraeus was able to turn the situation around with enormous precision.

Almost at the same time, a similar occurrence was developing in Afghanistan; and after the Gen. Stanley McChrystal's entanglements, with respect to an article in Rolling Stone that caused him (Gen. McChrystal) to resign, Gen. Patraeus was called in by President Barack Obama to handle it.

"The year 2010 is shaping up to be the worst year, by far, for the number of wounded American troops in Afghanistan." (Unknown source).

There too he displayed a crescendo of military tactics to avert farther tragedy for the troops; and also, his excellence in warfare maneuverings baffled the Taliban, the warmongering group.

His war medals are too numerous to count. He has done his job extremely well in every respect, to curtail American casualties and to put plans in place that would help to bring the war in Afghanistan under control.

"As I've said before, Gen. Petraeus has already established himself as one of the great battle captains in American military history," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at the Pentagon today. (Fox News).

He is a great soldier and a warrior; and his new appointment as head of the CIA has not come at the most appropriate time, when there is so much confusion in Washington D.C. It is therefore graciously welcome by all Americans.

We wish him well.